Facebook mogul’s sudden appearance is increasingly typical of freewheeling West Wing during Donald Trump’s second term, which president has reportedly nicknamed ‘Grand Central Terminal’

Air Force leaders learned that lesson earlier this year when they arrived for a top-secret briefing with Trump in the Oval Office, which according to NBC News was scheduled for them to discuss plans for America’s sixth-generation fighter aircraft, dubbed the F-47 in a nod to Trump’s status as the 47th President of the United States.

As the generals were going over the details of the super-stealthy plane, which Trump has called the most advanced, capable and lethal combat aircraft platform ever built, they were startled by the appearance of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg popping into the Oval Office.

According to NBC, White House officials became concerned that Zuckerberg, one of the wealthiest men in the world, lacked the security clearance required to be present for talks about such a sensitive national security matter.

  • OBJECTION!@lemmy.ml
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    19 hours ago

    Like, just google what happens to most oligarchs when they support any kind of authoritarianism. Whether it’s Mussolini, Hitler, or Putin, they always get shafted in the end.

    What on earth are you talking about? The oligarchs who supported Hitler made a bunch of money, saw organized labor crushed, and then did fine after the war. Nazi war criminal Fritz ter Meer, who was a senior board member of IG Farben, manufacturing Zyklon B for the gas chambers, got a couple years in prison and then became chairman of Bayer.

    • TommySoda@lemmy.world
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      16 hours ago

      https://tourguide-kevin.com/oligarchs-and-hitler/

      Literally within the first few results. Half these dudes got imprisoned and the rest were ruined after the fact.

      "Alfred Hugenberg (1865–1951)

      Alfred Hugenberg, a powerful German businessman and politician, was instrumental in Hitler’s early rise to power. As a media mogul and leader of the German National People’s Party (DNVP), he helped legitimize the Nazi Party by forming a coalition with Hitler in 1933. Hugenberg believed he could control Hitler and use him to advance his nationalist and conservative agenda. However, once Hitler consolidated power, he sidelined Hugenberg and absorbed his party into the Nazi machine. Hugenberg’s influence quickly diminished, and he found himself politically irrelevant, regretting his role in facilitating Hitler’s dictatorship.

      Fritz Thyssen (1873–1951)

      Fritz Thyssen, the industrial magnate behind the Thyssen steel empire, was one of Hitler’s early financial backers. He saw Hitler as a bulwark against communism and labor unions, supporting him financially in the late 1920s and early 1930s. However, as the Nazi regime became increasingly totalitarian and aggressive, Thyssen became disillusioned. He opposed Hitler’s militarization and, after the invasion of Poland in 1939, fled Germany. Thyssen was later arrested by the Nazis and imprisoned in a concentration camp, a stark reminder of how those who enabled Hitler could also become his victims.

      Emil Kirdorf (1847–1938)

      Emil Kirdorf, a coal and steel magnate, was an ardent supporter of Hitler in the early years, helping to fund the Nazi Party’s activities. He saw Hitler as a means to suppress socialism and protect capitalist interests. However, Kirdorf was eventually disappointed by the Nazi economic policies, particularly those that exerted excessive control over private enterprise. He regretted his support when he realized that Hitler was not just suppressing socialism but was also imposing a centralized economic system that limited business autonomy.

      Gustav Krupp (1870–1950)

      The Krupp industrial dynasty was deeply entangled with the Nazi war machine, and Gustav Krupp personally backed Hitler, seeing him as a leader who would strengthen Germany’s military industry. However, as the war progressed, the massive devastation and economic ruin caused by Hitler’s policies became apparent. By the end of World War II, the Krupp empire was dismantled, and members of the family faced prosecution for war crimes. The destruction of his business and the moral weight of association with Hitler left Gustav Krupp with profound regret.

      Karl Friedrich Goerdeler (1884–1945)

      Karl Friedrich Goerdeler was a businessman and politician who initially supported Hitler’s rise but later became a key member of the anti-Nazi resistance. As the mayor of Leipzig and an advisor to German industries, he believed that Hitler would restore Germany’s economic strength. However, he soon became disillusioned by Hitler’s radical policies, suppression of freedoms, and militarization. Goerdeler became involved in the failed 1944 plot to assassinate Hitler, leading to his execution. His regret over supporting Hitler drove him to actively resist the regime.

      Hjalmar Schacht (1877–1970)

      Hjalmar Schacht, an economist and banker, played a critical role in Hitler’s early economic success, helping to stabilize the German economy in the 1930s. However, he grew increasingly critical of Hitler’s reckless spending and aggressive military expansion. By the late 1930s, he had distanced himself from the regime and was eventually arrested for his opposition. Schacht survived the war but deeply regretted his initial support, realizing that he had helped enable one of history’s most destructive leaders."

      • OBJECTION!@lemmy.ml
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        16 hours ago

        So a handful of people grew consciences and decided that they didn’t like the Nazis, but what was actually done to them while they remained loyal, or to others who never turned against them? “Some people grew disillusioned” isn’t the same thing as the Nazis actively turning on them personally.

        When the Nazis seized property, it was generally the property of minorities which was then often redistributed upwards to the rich. Many bourgeoisie made out like bandits, so long as they were white and didn’t have a conscience.